Upcoming Dates

Digital Bootcamp Sydney: March 19-23

Secure your place in Digital Bootcamp now

Over five fun and rigorous days bootcampers learn from local and international experts in all aspects of digital campaigning.

Bootcampers compete in teams, applying what they've learnt as we go, including creating campaign strategy, designing and building a campaign mini site, drafting and sending effecive action email, raising money, creating great social media content, including video and more

Team and Board

We’re led by a small team of staff, and governed by a diverse board of Australia’s pre-eminent social leaders and thinkers.

Our staff

Nick Moraitis Executive Director

Nick brings 15 years’ experience driving social change in New York, Toronto, London and Sydney. Previously Nick co-founded one of the world’s first social networks, TakingITGlobal.org, played a leading role in the growth of Australia’s foremost campaigning organisation GetUp, worked in global strategy at Amnesty’s International Secretariat and managed public engagement for Greenpeace. As founder of Sydney-based consultancy Make Believe, Nick developed winning campaigns and internal innovation projects for more than seventy non-profits. He has served on numerous boards including the Australian Youth Climate Coalition and the Centre for Policy Development.

Rebecca Wilson Deputy Executive Director

Rebecca leads Australian Progress’ learning and community initiatives. She was previously Global Director of Learning and Development at Change.org, where she led on campaign innovation and learning for teams across 20 countries, and Chief of Staff at GetUp. Rebecca also spent seven years in senior roles with the independent Lord Mayor of Sydney, Clover Moore, broken by a stints with Obama for America in South Carolina and Ohio in 2008.

Elise Dalley Event Content & Impact Manager

Elise coordinates content and impact partnerships for our flagship conference, Progress 2017. Elise is an investigative journalist and campaigner, with particular expertise in consumer, food, social and planning policy. She played a key role in the establishment of The Parenthood, and has worked at Choice and on the ABC TV program The Checkout. Most recently she has worked in electoral politics in both Australia and Scotland.

Michael Whitney Guest in Residence 2017

Michael Whitney is an expert marketer, fundraiser, and campaigner. Michael was the Digital Fundraising Manager of Bernie Sanders’ U.S. presidential campaign, which raised more than $218 million USD online from 8 million contributions. Michael was named one of Rolling Stone’s “16 young Americans shaping the 2016 election.” He also led the digital fundraising strategies for Gabby Giffords’ gun violence prevention group Americans for Responsible Solutions, Zephyr Teachout’s campaign for U.S. Congress, and for Black Lives Matter leader DeRay Mckesson’s campaign for Mayor of Baltimore, and has previously worked with groups including Change.org, MoveOn.org, Amnesty International USA, and Howard Dean’s 2004 U.S. presidential campaign. Michael’s work in grassroots fundraising and mobilization has set new standards in how organisations can engage supporters and volunteers in support of their mission and values.

Nicole Aro Guest in Residence 2017

For the last five years, Nicole led the Digital Strategies team at the AFL-CIO, America’s largest labor federation, to bring the latest in political and organising technology to the fight for working families. Previously, she was the Organising Director at the Sunlight Foundation, where she worked to build grassroots support for open government initiatives. At Organizing for America and the Democratic National Committee she managed the online-to-offline program through the fight for Obamacare. And on Obama’s 2008 campaign, she directed the national phonebank Get Out the Vote program after working in a number of other field and digital roles.

Our Board

Roger West Chair of the Board

Roger is founding director and principal consultant at WestwoodSpice, a specialist consulting group for the community and public sectors. Roger served as the first Commissioner for Community Services in NSW, and the President of the NSW Guardianship Tribunal. He has also worked as senior executive coach with McKinsey & Co, and as former CEO and/or board member of the Public Interest Advocacy Centre, Welfare Rights Centre, and Redfern Legal Centre. He was was also founding Chair of Midnight Basketball Australia.

Amanda McKenzie Immediate Past Chair

Amanda McKenzie is chief executive of the Climate Council, and was previously senior communications adviser at the Climate Commission. Between 2006 and 2010, Amanda was National Director of the Australian Youth Climate Coalition, building a non-partisan movement of tens of thousands of young Australians to tackle the climate crisis. For this work, she was acknowledged as the 2009 Environment Minister’s Young Environmentalist of the Year and 2009 Rotary Young Achiever of the Year.

Anita Tang Member of the Board

Anita Tang an independent advocacy advisor and campaign coach, and one of Australia’s most respected public health campaigners. Until recently, she spent 12 years at Cancer Council NSW as Manager, Policy & Advocacy and Director of Health Strategies. She has played a leading role in securing federal and state government support around tobacco control, cancer screening, and support for cancer survivors. Previously she worked with the Community Services Commission of NSW. Anita has a Bachelor of Arts, and a Masters in Administrative Law and Policy, both from the University of Sydney. She was awarded a Fellowship for the Stanford University Executive Program for Non-profit leaders, and completed the Harvard Kennedy School program on Leading Organizing and Action.

Nick Crocker Member of the Board

Nick is an investor and venture partner at Blackbird, a venture capital firm that invests in inherently global Internet businesses formed by Australians; Nick coordinates their Startmate accelerator program. Previously Nick has co-founded multiple companies, including WeAreHunted (purchased by Twitter) and Sessions (purchased by MyFitnessPal). Nick has a degree in political science from UQ and has has recently returned from San Francisco to Melbourne.

Jeremy Hobbs Member of the Board

Jeremy Hobbs is an international consultant, with more than 20 years experience leading major international NGOs. Most recently, he spent a decade as Executive Director of Oxfam International, a confederation of 17 development agencies, with a global income of US$1 billion, and programs in 90 countries. He represented Oxfam in high level advocacy at the WTO on trade issues, at the UN on climate change, Millenium Development Goals and the Arms Trade Treaty. From 1992-2001, he served Executive Director of Community Aid Abroad/Oxfam Australia. He is a founding director and former chair of the International NGO Accountability Charter.

Miriam Lyons Member of the Board

Miriam Lyons is an Australian policy analyst, writer and commentator, and currently Environmental Justice Campaigns Director at GetUp. She is a co-author of Governomics, published by Melbourne University Press. Miriam is also a Fellow of the Centre for Policy Development, a public-interest think tank which she co-founded. She has been a regular guest on the ABC shows Q&A and The Drum, has contributed to several media outlets and co-edited the books Pushing Our Luck and More Than Luck.

Sheena Watt Member of the Board

Sheena Watt is the Fight Stroke Campaign Coordinator, National Stroke Foundation. She was previously the Policy and Advocacy Coordinator for the Federation of Ethnic Community Councils Australia. She was most recently Political Adviser for the national Aboriginal health organisation, NACCHO, based in Canberra. She has also worked at the National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples, and at the ACTU where she was the Indigenous Officer. Sheena is graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Director’s course and the Centre for Sustainability Leadership’s fellowship program. She is committed to building strong community voices and tackling inequality.

Victoria Keesing Member of the Board

Victoria Keesing is currently establishing her own consulting business. Victoria has been a partner at PwC Australia for 11 years where she advised clients on culture, organisation design and the people aspects of major strategy and transformation program implementations. Prior to joining PwC Victoria held a range of senior and executive roles for NSW Department of Housing, Ansett/Air New Zealand and National Australia Bank. Victoria is passionate about social justice issues and also currently serves on the board of the Women in Prisons Advocacy Network.

Malinda Wink Member of the Board

Malinda Wink is Executive Director of Good Pitch² Australia and Director Policy and Impact at Shark Island Productions. Malinda’s professional experience spans the corporate, political and development sectors, including at Macquarie Bank Financial Services, the United Nations Development Program, the St James Ethics Centre, and the Caledonia Foundation (where she currently serves on the board). Malinda has a Masters in International Development and Public Policy completed through the European Commission’s Erasmus Mundus program.

Michael Tull Member of the Board

Michael Tull is National Assistant Secretary of the Community and Public Sector Union. He was an economist when he landed 12 months work in 1990 as an organiser in the Sydney office of the Tax Division of the CPSU. Michael loved the work, the challenge and the people – and he has never looked back. He has led organising teams in a wide range of agencies including the Tax Office, Finance and Treasury, and was formerly CPSU’s National President.

Clare Wimshurst Treasurer

Clare Wimshurst is a chartered accountant. She is currently Chief Operating Officer at ActionAid Australia. Previously, Clare worked in senior financial roles at the British Red Cross, including as Acting Head of International Finance and Senior International Auditor. Clare came to the Red Cross after working in the commercial world as Senior Associate at PwC. She holds a masters degree in Civil Society Management (Accounting and Financial Management) from London South Bank University.